God Will Prevail

Submitted August 9, 2014

Source: Ray Prater, photographer

A few days ago, I watched one of the videos showing members of a terrorist group in Iraq killing truckloads of people. Most of the victims were young men. Bullets were put into heads by cold, cruel hands. It was a blood bath. It is the face of pure evil.

I was very sobered. To see such actions fills one with the urgency that this is the time to be on our knees to our Father, awake and watching more than ever while there is yet time. Matthew:24:42-43[42] Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come.[43] But know this, that if the goodman of the house had known in what watch the thief would come, he would have watched, and would not have suffered his house to be broken up. says, “Watch therefore, for you do not know what hour your Lord is coming. 43 But know this, that if the master of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched and not allowed his house to be broken into.”

Later that day, I saw a bumper sticker on a car with a woman driving. The sticker said, “Why do people kill people to show them that it is wrong to kill people?” The human part of me, after seeing the video earlier, was ready to educate the woman. But this world is spiritually blind for now. So I meditated on these things then.

I cried in my thoughts to God, “Oh, Lord God, there is so much pure evil! How did it get this bad?”

And I had to think. I can't just go about my happy little life, oblivious to just how degenerate this world has quickly deteriorated into. Or did it? Wasn't it this bad already throughout the generations? Sometimes it was under the surface more than at other times. Man's way without God does not work. What have I done or not done to contribute to the failure of mankind to come to the loving standards that God sets before us? His standards lead to real peace and happiness.

I've wasted a lot of time. I am “just a homemaker” right now. What does God want me to do? In Luke:22:49-53[49] When they which were about him saw what would follow, they said unto him, Lord, shall we smite with the sword?[50] And one of them smote the servant of the high priest, and cut off his right ear.[51] And Jesus answered and said, Suffer ye thus far. And he touched his ear, and healed him.[52] Then Jesus said unto the chief priests, and captains of the temple, and the elders, which were come to him, Be ye come out, as against a thief, with swords and staves?[53] When I was daily with you in the temple, ye stretched forth no hands against me: but this is your hour, and the power of darkness. and in Matthew:26:51And, behold, one of them which were with Jesus stretched out his hand, and drew his sword, and struck a servant of the high priest's, and smote off his ear., Jesus shows that evil and the power of darkness are being allowed for a relatively short time. Christ answers my questions as to how He personally wants me to react.

I also believe that God does not want me to hide my head in the sand and ignore the problems, hoping they will all just go away. We cannot worry whether we should speak the truth. Many people today laugh at or dismiss those who are willing to tell the truth about what is happening in the world today. The events often seem unbelievable. But the facts are getting more obvious to see.

Later that evening, I studied online and read eye-witness accounts of what is happening now in North Korea. The atrocities done in the North Korean work camps are no less, if not more, horrendous than what was done in Hitler's concentration camps. I looked at drawings smuggled out of the country, showing what is happening in these camps. My heart is filled with pity for these people. Many of the victims in North Korea and in Iraq paid with their lives because they called themselves Christian.

I looked at more photos from Iraq and Pakistan. It is sickening. These facts cannot be dismissed. We cannot pretend that there is not a worldwide conspiracy, orchestarted by Satan, playing out before our very eyes. 1 Thessalonians:5:3For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape. says, “For when they say, ‘Peace and safety!’ then sudden destruction comes upon them, as labor pains upon a pregnant woman. And they shall not escape.”

Here are more facts to remember: in Luke:12:32Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom., Jesus said, “Do not fear, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.”

We have hope and assurance!

We can also be very thankful. We can appreciate every bit of love and beauty that God has blessed us with. Let us appreciate every moment. Let us be sober and kind to others and do whatever we can to lighten the load or the stress of those around us.

In preparing to submit this blog, I stopped and read the last dozen or so blogs posted on this site. They are filled with encouragement and tips for having hope in a very discouraging world. I hope you will read many of these also, and be encouraged. Pray, fast, and always remember, God will prevail!

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The Bible always tells the truth. The world we live in is not the way we see it. There is darkness of evil doing their best to ruin the good people daily life.
Is kinda weird and foolish to doubt that there is a master, the ruler of this world, Satan at work. He is the ruler of the earth says the Bible.
We must be vigilant as we do not know when the Lord will come.
We must pray, fast, read the Bible and do what is written in it.
By doing so we, we can be watchful and awake to righteousness anytime.
Hypocrite too is a thing that is detestable to Jehovah God.
Greetings from Ghana!!!

I didn't see the videos you mentioned, but I've often asked myself, How did we get where we are today, with so much cruelty? I believe you hit the nail on the head when you said it's always been around, only perhaps more visible now. We all need to encourage others and receive encouragement ourselves. It's difficult to realize the conditions of the world when I look out my window to a peaceful street, children playing, sun shining. So, sometimes the encouragement we need is as close as our window with thanks always to God for the blessings He provides. Thank you.cc

Hello Carolyn! Very well written blog!
It really upsets me when I see videos of wounded soldiers and families mourning the loss of these servicemen--men and women dying or permanently maimed from senseless violence and wars. I just saw a commercial this evening (Mark Wahlberg narrated it) where a soldier came back from Iraq severely injured. I believe the young man suffered a brain injury and may have been blinded, too. He was only able to walk with the assistance of his CHILDREN and wife, and could not talk. How sad that his children are raising him! I kept thinking, "What a waste! And for what purpose?" That family has been irreparably damaged and for no use! As ugly as those videos you witnessed were, it is only going to get much uglier. I shudder to think what awaits mankind before God prevails. I just hope we are all prepared.

Thank you for this post. I started to think more deeply about this subject after having our first child. It really brought me to a place of fear and dread which is hard to cope with humanly. I started to pray that God would lift it off of me.

He directed me to the scripture about Stephen being stoned to death. Acts:7:54-60[54] When they heard these things, they were cut to the heart, and they gnashed on him with their teeth.[55] But he, being full of the Holy Ghost, looked up stedfastly into heaven, and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of God,[56] And said, Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing on the right hand of God.[57] Then they cried out with a loud voice, and stopped their ears, and ran upon him with one accord,[58] And cast him out of the city, and stoned him: and the witnesses laid down their clothes at a young man's feet, whose name was Saul.[59] And they stoned Stephen, calling upon God, and saying, Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.[60] And he kneeled down, and cried with a loud voice, Lord, lay not this sin to their charge. And when he had said this, he fell asleep. The miracle and comfort of that passage for me, was that God was there with Stephen. He even opened up heaven and allowed Stephen to see "the Son of Man standing at right hand of God".

I can only imagine the comfort and peace that would have given to Stephen - probably even pain relief. But the key is that it says Stephen was "full of the Holy Spirit".... we have to be really focused on overcoming and conquering every single day, in every situation that its required. There's no time to put off the hard things. We need to tackle them every one head on with God's help.

God is not the God of fear and He gives us hope, peace and strength if we will draw close to Him and put His Way first in every aspect of our lives, searching for the truth and applying it fearlessly in our lives. We have to do that, there is no time to waste on fleeting things.

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